When 10-year-old Dylan Jones lost his Taid to lung cancer, he didn’t want to sit around and be sad. Instead, he hopped on his bike with his dad, Gareth to take on his biggest ever cycling challenge.
“Dylan adored his Taid, which is Welsh for grandad,” explains Gareth. “He inherited his love of football and is obsessed with all things Liverpool FC.
“Dylan was dad’s first grandchild. He came up to meet him within hours of his birth and was ever present in his life thereafter. After Dad retired, he started to refer to himself as “The Nurny” – acting as both Nurse + Nanny to Dylan when he was unwell, or we had childcare issues.
They were very close and there wasn’t a dry eye in sight when Dylan laid his flat cap on the casket when we said goodbye to him.
“As a respiratory doctor, I see a lot of people with lung cancer and like so many, Dad’s cancer didn’t show up until it was advanced. It’s impossible to know how long the cancer had been there but it might have been caught earlier if screening for lung cancer had been available.
“That’s one of the reasons we wanted to support Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, for all its work campaigning for screening. It will make a huge difference to so many people. I just wish it had been in place a few years ago and then maybe Dad would have still been here.
Wheels in Motion
It was my wife, Helen, who suggested Dylan do a fundraiser in memory of his Taid. Living on the Wirral, the Liverpool to Chester cycle was perfect. Dylan agreed straight away. I don’t think he realised how far it was!
Dylan is a very fit and active kid. He plays football twice a week and does Junior Parkrun most Sundays. We’re lucky to have lots of off-road cycle paths nearby. The boys and I often ride on the trails on weekends when I’m not on call.
After signing up for the cycling challenge, we went on longer rides each weekend. Still, we hadn’t ridden 25 miles in one go by race day.
Dylan felt a bit nervous at first. Riding through the UK’s longest road tunnel was thrilling. Despite all his training, the ride was tough. He received lots of encouragement from other participants and a real boost from the public’s applause when they saw our Roy Castle tops.
The route passed right by the bottom of our road, and he got a huge cheer from his family and our neighbours. His little brothers held up homemade signs showing how proud they were of him.
In the end
By the end, we were both very tired. However, charity members welcomed us as we crossed the finish line with drinks and sandwiches. We felt truly supported.
On the way home, Dylan reflected on the ride. He felt this challenge was a better way to remember his Taid than just feeling sad. He realised the money raised could help others, and he knew his Taid would have liked that.
“There are so many exciting areas of research in lung cancer and plenty to do in prevention,” he said. “We hope the money helps Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation continue its vital work.
“This charity saves lives and supports everyone affected by lung cancer. Given what happened to Dad, it’s comforting to know some of the funds might raise awareness of the new screening programme.”reening programme and saving more Taids so they can cheer on their grandchildren the way Dad would have done when Dylan finished his race.”
You can still donate to Dylan’s fundraiser by visiting his JustGiving page: justgiving.com/page/gareth-jones-1686506636256